Amanda’s Strictly hell laid bare: Sobbing star says there are up to 50 HOURS of ‘toxic’ footage of Giovanni Pernice and ‘humiliating behaviour of a sexual nature’ so bad producers were ‘horrified’ – but sacked dancer hits back to deny claims

Strictly Come Dancing was plunged into further crisis this evening after Amanda Abbington claimed that sacked dancer Giovanni Pernice was trying to block the release of up to 50 hours of ‘toxic’ footage’.

In an emotionally charged interview, the actress, 50, compared the dance show to ‘the trenches’ telling Channel 4 News that BBC producers had been left ‘horrified’ by clips that also allegedly exhibited ‘humiliating behavior of a sexual nature’.

The Sherlock star sensationally quit the dance competition last year citing ‘personal reasons’ before reports surfaced that she had demanded footage of her rehearsals after the experience with the show and her dance partner left her with PTSD. Giovanni, who has strongly denied any threatening or abusive behavior, was later suspended, with the BBC later launching a probe over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Amanda as well as other celebrities.

Yet in a dramatic twist in the Strictly saga, the actress has claimed Giovanni tried to stop her legal team from accessing the video ‘evidence’ after producers were forced to put cameras in the dance studio after Amanda raised concerns. ‘There’s 50 hours of footage that’s being blocked. You know, 50 hours is a lot of footage, and a lot of time spent in a room that was toxic,’ she told presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy.

‘It’s out there. There is evidence out there of what happened in that room and I’m not the one who’s blocking it. I’ve said anyone can watch it, but he (Giovanni) doesn’t want anyone to see it, which is quite telling if he’s got nothing to hide.’